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How to Choose a Water Pitcher Filter

Manufacturers of water pitcher filters take these factors into consideration when marketing their products. Perhaps the most well-known pitcher filter on the market today is the Brita brand, with $5 billion in sales. Seven out of ten pitchers sold to consumers bear the Brita name. With so many alternate brands on the market, it’s only natural to wonder why.

In 2000, Brita sold sole rights to its brand to the Clorox Company. Seven years later, the MAVEA brand was launched by former Brita CEO Markus Hankammer. With a newer, contemporary, stylish design, the MAVEA Elemaris pitchers are priced at $32 to $40. Clorox-owned Brita carafes range from $11 to $32, with its latest, comparable upscale design priced at $23. (Is it safe to assume that the top priority for consumers is affordability?)

Nick Vlahos, vice president of Clorox’s Brita division thinks so. However, Hankammer argues that as these pitchers become less trendy over time, good design becomes more and more of a necessity. MAVEA pitchers have a rubber base and soft-grip handle, with a sleek design that looks great on any dinner table. MAVEA also claims to be ahead of the game in filtration technology, with a unique oval-shaped micromesh filter that prevents carbon fragments from escaping into the water. (I’m sure we’re all familiar with those tiny black dots…).

Brita and MAVEA are not the only water filtration pitchers on the market today. Many companies that manufacture water filters have pitchers somewhere in their product lines, including GE, Culligan and PUR. Each of these brands has something unique to offer. With so many options, how do you go about choosing the best one?

Find out what’s in your water. The reduction of chlorine taste and odor, along with chlorination byproducts, is a given with most water filter pitcher brands. Some pitchers also reduce microbiological cysts, heavy metals, pharmaceutical traces, and agricultural and industrial pollutants.

Pick a price point. Obviously, affordability is a major priority for most consumers. How much are you willing to spend?

Look for the design that best suits your needs. How much space in your refrigerator are you willing to sacrifice for a water filter pitcher? Will you use your pitcher while entertaining guests? If so, how important is appearance? Some pitchers have an opening in the lid to allow for convenient, one-handed refills under the faucet.

These steps are in no particular order. Which of them do you consider most important? (Hint: take our latest poll.)